


Developing Family Bonds

by Diary



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Gender/Sexuality, Awkwardness, Bechdel Test Fail, Canon Character of Color, Canon Disabled Character, Established Leeta/Rom (Star Trek), Established Relationship, Family Bonding, Female Protagonist, Female-Centric, Ferenginar, Friendship, Interspecies Friendship, Interspecies Romance, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, Loving Marriage, POV Female Character, POV Leeta (Star Trek), POV Nonhuman, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Queer Character, Queer Nog (Star Trek), Romantic Fluff, Stepmother-Stepson Relationship, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Nog/Jake Sisko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 05:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14277564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: A look at Nog and Leeta's developing relationship post-canon. Complete.





	Developing Family Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Star Trek: DS9.
> 
> Author's Notes: This was titled 'Forging Family'. Then, after posting, I decided this title would work better.

Coming out to breakfast, Leeta finds Nog and Jake glaring at one another.

“Hew-mons are ridiculous,” Nog announces.

Glancing over at Jake, she feels a surge of sympathy at the look her stepson’s words produce. “Nog, never mind Jake being your best friend, be politer to our guest.”

“It’s okay,” Jake says. “It’s okay for Nog to date Bajorans and his father to marry one, but me going on a date with a Ferengi-”

“The latter is not okay, and no respectable Ferengi female would-”

“Wait. My marrying your father-” She tries to process his words.

For his part, he looks briefly guilty and shoots an angry look at Jake.

She’d begun to accept she and Nog would never share the close relationship he shares with Rom, but- she’d thought he’d was the one person in Rom’s family who didn’t have objections.

Ishka bared her teeth, threatened to have her killed if she broke Rom’s heart, and more-or-less ignored her afterwards. Quark has been openly and consistently against their relationship from the start. Yet, Nog has always treated her with politeness. His whole visit to Ferenginar is, or so he said, to help with the nursery.

“She’s a brilliant artist!”

Bless Jake and his selective perceptiveness, she thinks.

Nog scoffs. “She’s a clothes wearing, non-grub chewing, profit-denying female who creates worthless pottery. You don’t even think she’s pretty!”

Jake’s scowl deepens so much Leeta is about to remind them this is neither of their homes, and as a pregnant woman especially, she’s going to have to insist any physical fighting happen far, far away from her-

“I’m not used to being around Feregeni women. I’m sure once I am, I’ll be able to appreciate their beauty better,” Jake responds.

Going over, she kisses the top of his head. “I think it sounds lovely, you having a date. What’s her name? Are you going to need some latinum?”

…

After Jake leaves, Nog disappears before she can try to talk to him, and later, he sends a message before dinner saying he’s made some friends he’ll be joining.

Jake brings his newest potential sweetheart, a somewhat shy, charming young woman named Aska, over, and Leeta wishes it could be a truly happy time for both of them, but he keeps shooting her and Rom concerned looks throughout the meal.

After they’ve gone to bed, she tells Rom.

“Ooh,” he says with sorrow clear in his voice. “Should I- do you want me to talk to him?”

“No.” Him doing so might make it worse, she knows. “He can be unhappy, as long as he doesn’t start taking after Quark.”

Quark’s few attempts to separate the two of them have always seemed a bit half-hearted, but if Nog truly objects- just like Rom, he’s smarter than Quark is, and he might turn out to be meaner, too.

Sneezes threaten to come, and she tells herself her baby is safe and healthy. She has a wonderful husband, and they’ll raise their baby, giving him or her a family, in a place and time without war, hunger, and the threat of serious disease.

“I don’t understand,” he says. “You’ve always been so kind to him. If he found a nice female to settle down with, I’d support him!” Quieter, he adds, “And I don’t want him to be unhappy. I thought, becoming Nagus, I could finally give him- Do you think I was too strict before? Making him clean our quarters? You, our baby, him, Moogie, and Quark, we’re all supposed to be family, now.”

After she’s sneezed several times, she feels his hand gently settled on her stomach.

“It’ll be okay, Rom,” she promises. “Just let me hold you.”

Softly kissing her, he burrows underneath the sheets and wraps them around himself. It’s something many Ferengi do, she’s learned. Julian once said something about evolutionary holdovers.

Letting her left arm slip underneath him, she brings her right arm over the sheet-clad him and sighs.

Having him in her arms always makes her feel calm and at peace.

…

When Nog doesn’t come home for lunch, she makes plans to go out.

She refuses to have Ferengi guards stationed around the house, and thankfully, Ishka is off on some adventure with Zek. She knows Rom worries about her due to her status as the Nagus’s wife, but she’s not going to stay at home all the time and only go out when there are official functions.

Compared to so many, she was lucky during the occupation. The Cardassian who ran the orphanage was kind to them, although, as she grew older, she formed the opinion it would have been kinder if he’d never been on their planet to begin with. She always had enough food, she learned how to read and write, and when she was almost grown, the occupation ended. She was able to find a job with the skills she had, and eventually, she’d ended up on DS9.

One of her biggest complaints was not being able to run and play outside and, worse, not being able to talk to many new people. She’d known there were others out there, and she’d wanted so badly to go find them and talk to them. She wanted to learn about them, tell them about herself, and have someone besides her few friends to be close to.

Once she leaves, it doesn’t take long to find Nog sitting in a nearby park and watching a group of Tongo players.

Seeing her, he jumps up. “Moo- Leeta. Is the baby alright?”

Just like Rom, she affectionately thinks.

“We’re both fine.” Sitting down, she tugs him back onto the bench.

“I’m sorry for yesterday.”

If he were Quark, she’d point out the apology isn’t specific, and it doesn’t say much he’s saying this after _she’s_ tracked _him_ down.

She hopes it never gets to a point where she and Rom’s child have a relationship like she and Quark have. Aside from being Rom’s son, however, she’s always genuinely liked Nog. He was a sweet boy, he’s turned into a dedicated officer, and he shares so many of Rom’s wonderful traits.

In addition, she’s realised life has been just unkind to him as it has been to his father. He was exposed to war as a small child, too, more than she was in many ways, had brief time with a woman who gave birth to him but no true mother, for all Quark gave them charity, Quark for an uncle, losing a leg while fighting during another war-

“Look, Nog- I’d just like to know where we all stand. Your uncle, the one good thing I can say about him, is he’s honest about his disapproval.”

“I don’t disapprove,” he quietly says.

“Then, what do you feel?”

He sighs. “You and Jake, always wanting to talk about feelings. If I ever get married, it’s going to be to someone who we never need to discuss our feelings with one another.”

“I’m not sure- If you can find such a marriage, and it makes you happy, your father and I will try to support you.”

“When you first started seeing my father, I thought you were doing it for profit or advancement in Uncle Quark’s bar.”

“Okay. Well, while hurtful, that’s fair,” she says. “Do you still think that?”

“No,” he answers. “But I can’t figure out _why_. You must know what everyone thinks. A beautiful woman like you, so good at talking to other people, so tall, follower of the prophets- What are you doing with my father?”

“I know how hew-mons and creatures- species, would be a better word, like them think of how Ferengi look, and even by Ferengi standards, my father is plain. Uncle Quark has the best looks out of the three of us. He has trouble stringing together words. And him being Nagus- I expected him to be working for my uncle until he died. When he started working for the chief, I was so proud of him, but I thought that would be all, a simple job on a space station until retirement.”

He shakes his head. “And he respects your beliefs, we both do, but neither of us think the wormhole entities are anything but advanced aliens. If we’re wrong, that’s good for you, but it won’t matter to us aside from that.”

She squeezes his hand. “Your father is one of the most adorable looking Ferengi I’ve ever met. I admit, he and I had trouble communicating at the start, but we’ve gotten much better at it. And I’ve never thought people who don't worship the prophets are wrong for not. There are many different gods out there, and there are many people who need none of them.”

Sneezing, she brings his hand down to her stomach. “I’m not sure anyone can explain why exactly they’re in love. Your father is kind and smart. He makes me laugh. I make him laugh. He listens when I talk, and I like to hear his thoughts on different things. Sometimes, it’s hard for both of us- other people often can’t follow our thoughts, but he and I can usually understand one another. He’s fun, but he’s also safe. With Julian, he was very fun, but we never had the easy intimacy your father and I have.”

“I’m sorry,” he breathes out.

“We’re family,” she says. “No family is without conflict, right?”

…

Just because things are hopefully better between her and Nog doesn’t mean they’re better between Nog and Jake, she quickly learns.

Despite the looks he keeps shooting Nog, Jake continues to be a wonderful guest and happily talks to her and Rom throughout dinner.

When she gets up during the night to get a snack, however, she finds Nog lying on the couch.

She tries to quietly walk over, but he’s immediately sitting up. “Leeta? Is the music too loud?”

Getting a little closer, she realises he has a music chip almost soundlessly playing music.

“No. The baby wants some tarackag fish. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’d just rather sleep here than with Jake.”

Sitting down, she says, “I’m sorry. We didn’t think-”

Along with Nog’s, they have Ishka and Quark’s rooms, but she and Rom hadn’t bothered to try to fix the latter. Even though Nog and Jake have separate beds in their quarters on DS9, over the years during sleepovers and even their last visit to here, they’ve always happily shared a bed.

“It’s not that. I just- With us fighting-” He makes a frustrated sound.

“Do you want to talk about why you’re disagreeing? What’s so wrong with him finding a nice Ferengi to spend time with? It’s too early to tell if anything serious is going to come of it, but if it did, would that be so bad?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Nog, if this is about you not having a girlfriend, your father and I both know several girls who might be perfect for you. Just don’t let your Uncle Quark set you up on any dates without our approval. Do you know he once tricked your father into going out with a-”

“I don’t want a girlfriend.”

She starts to assure him they’re not trying to pressure him, he can enjoy being single for as long as he wants, and if he doesn’t want anything serious- but then, she fully takes in his tone.

“Nog?”

“Forget it.” He starts to leave.

She grabs his arm. “Hey.”

Once he sits back down, she runs through his earlier words. “Clothes wearing, you haven’t seriously pursued profit since you joined Starfleet- You don’t have to be afraid to tell me. But in my experience, it’s best not to ask these sorts of things.”

She wonders how she could have possibly- Well, come to think of it, she knows the answer.

Ferengi, Vulcans, Romulans, and Cardassians all have one thing in common: They’re all devoted to the idea of the foundation of proper families containing a man, his wife, and their children. Humans used to be like this, she knows. Vulcans are completely accepting of what they consider non-traditional families and relationships in _other_ species.

She isn’t sure about Bajorans. This is another thing the Cardassians took. Holy stories empathising the importance of survival and the glory of Bajor are the stable of most religious services now, history has a heavy focus on people who survived terrible times, and even decades after the occupation, there’s still a strong trend of men and women marrying young and having many children. Aside from worshiping the prophets and never forgetting what the Cardassians did, many cultural practices and moral beliefs of their ancestors have been largely forgotten.

Even with how non-traditional Rom’s entire family is, she’d never stopped to consider this might be another way-

Groaning, he hides his face. “Please, don’t tell my father.”

“I won’t tell anyone you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to want- People don’t care if Ferengi men are with others, for profit or just because they prefer them, but wanting what I want- it isn’t done. Ferengis are still expected to find a female, marry her, and have children. I thought I did like females. They were pretty and interesting, but- it didn’t take long to figure out I didn’t want what others my age, what Jake, did. And he-” Nog sighs.

Putting her arm around him, she kisses his head. “I know, sweetheart. I do know. Before I met your father, there was this boy I wanted so badly to see me like that, but he never did. Then, when it came to your father, well, I made the stupid mistake of insisting on waiting for him to make the first move. I’m not even sure why, but I did. I wish-” She pauses.

“Thank you.” He wipes away his tears. “He wouldn’t care. About me wanting other males. But knowing how I felt about him, it’d cause things to be awkward. I don’t want to talk about my feelings. I don’t want to get to know his female loves. I just want it to be me and him, being friends, having fun, just being there for each other. It’s- easier to ignore when he just says he’s going out on a date, and maybe, he’ll talk about it some when he gets back, but meeting them- I sit there, and I hate, hate, this innocent person who’s done nothing wrong, because, she gets what I’ve had literal dreams about. Him. The promise of more.”

He puts his head on her shoulder. “Is there any way to stop feeling this way?”

“No. Or- at least, it’s not something you’re going to wake up and not feel tomorrow. Maybe, eventually. I’m sorry. It’d be wonderful if Jake would wake up one day and realise you were what he’s been looking for. Since that’s not likely to ever happen, I wish you could just suddenly, painlessly be over him and look at him as nothing but a close friend, a brother. I- I don’t have any advice to give you. I wish I did.”

“Thanks, Moogie,” he murmurs.

Rubbing his back and humming, she starts to work out how to best make her beliefs on same-gender attraction clear to Rom. If her son or daughter ever brings home another boy or girl or an alien with differing genders from Ferengi and Bajorans, they had better be nice and understand how lucky they are to have her child’s affections. If they aren’t and don’t, she knows how to hurt them better than Ishka or Quark could, and she will.

The thought her child might bring home a Cardassian someday fills her with dread, but she’ll try to handle this the right way if it ever happens.

If Rom can’t accept when it comes to his own children that it might not always be two people of the opposite gender- she’ll have Jake escort her back to DS9. She can find a Starfleet lawyer.

Noticing Nog has dozed off, she carefully gets him settled back on the couch.

Rom is a good father, she tells herself. Every parent makes mistakes, but despite being alone and having to contend with Quark’s influence, he was a good parent to Nog. He’ll love their new child no matter what.

…

The next day, Nog, Jake, and Aska go to a concert.

She’s not sure this is a good idea, but since Nog and Jake, though a bit awkward around one another, are behaving much like the friends they used to be and Nog is polite when Aska shows up, she gives the three of them latinum and quietly tells Nog to contact her or his father if he leaves the two early.

Rom is working on a speech when she comes back to their bedroom.

Moving the pad aside, she picks him up to sit him on her lap. “Sweetheart, I’ve been thinking about the baby.”

Gentle hands rest on her stomach. “Is everything okay?”

After a few sneezes, she answers, “Yes.”

“You’re thinking about after he or she is born?”

She nods. “I’m not sure what Bajoran beliefs used to be or even what they currently are, but I was thinking about when you and Quark were talking about Jadzia Dax’s former wife. There’s a possibility the baby might fall in love with someone who doesn’t even have a gender like we do or that’s the same as them. What are we going to do if this happens?”

“I don’t care if they do,” he declares. Softly rubbing her nose, he says, “I just want them to be happy and healthy. Hopefully, find someone like you like I did. And if they ever get tricked by a bad person, I’ll use my power and influence as the Nagus to destroy that person!”

“I think you’d better let me handle it. I can do it much more discreetly.”

Considering this, he smiles with a nod. “Yes, that might be best. But if I can help, I will.”

Even if others can never understand it, she knows she made the right choice in giving her heart and promising her life and body to this man.

They kiss, he leans against her, and she focuses on the feel of him against her and the baby inside her.

“Leeta.” He leans away. “My love, do you think- Nog’s never had a serious girlfriend. I don’t know if he’s ever been with anyone. Do you think he might be- I wondered, once, but I didn’t want to bring it up to Quark, and I didn’t know how to bring it up to him.”

After careful consideration, she decides to respond with, “That’s an interesting thought. Maybe, we should have the conversation with him about the baby. That way, if he is, he might understand it’s safe to talk to both of us about it.”

He bounces. “You’re brilliant!”

Laughing, she kisses him again.

…

At dinner, Nog says, “Father, Moogie, after we get the nursery set up, Jake wants to stay on Ferenginar for awhile. He thinks he should find an apartment.”

Jake shoots him an irritated look.

“An apartment?" She shakes her head. "No, of course, for now, you’ll stay with us."

“Yes,” Rom agrees. “Do you know how much Ferenginar apartments can cost, especially for a hew-mon? You can stay in Nog’s room. If you decide to make it permanent, we can help you find a suitable home of your own later on.”

“I don’t think it’d be right to keep imposing on your hospitality after Nog leaves.”

Before she can respond, Rom says, “You’re my son’s closest friend, and you’re going to be the baby’s god-brother. We’re happy to have you. And if you’d like a job while you’re here, I could use a scribe for my meetings. It’d give you a good, intimate look at how the new Ferenginar government does things.”

“Rom’s right, sweetheart. You’re part of Nog’s family, and that makes you part of ours.”

“Told you,” Nog declares.

The two make faces at one another, and they were both mostly grown when she came to the station, but she’s heard stories of them as children. Now, she can almost see the two little boys they once were, and her sympathy for both deepens. Jake truly loves her son, and she wishes Nog wasn’t in this situation, being in love with someone who might never be able to translate their own love for him into the type he can’t help but desperately feel and crave.

...

The nursery is finished, and all three of them have noticed how serious Jake and Aska are becoming.

“I’ll be back around the time it’s time for this one to come,” Nog says with a soft press against her stomach.

“Take care of yourself, sweetheart.” She hugs him. “Don’t work too hard. You’ll be a captain or admiral when the time comes.”

He smiles. “Thanks, Moogie.” He hesitates. “I love you.”

Touched, she pulls him into another hug. “I love you, too. When I married your father, I gained more than one child.”

Rom and Jake come over, and there’s more goodbyes.

…

After Nog calls to let them know he’s made it safely back to DS9, she holds Rom and dreams of growing old with him and seeing their children safe and happy.


End file.
